Sports Briefs: Sports Guy on New NFL Stadiums; Beatty Best in New England

Bill Simmons of ESPN.com writes about the proliferation of new stadiums in the NFL and the resulting deterioration of home-field advantage. Simmons argues that teams’ never ending search for new revenue streams has pushed true fans to the upper decks and out of the stadium completely, all to the detriment of the home team’s advantage of playing on their own turf:

Thirteen teams have built SOTAS (state-of-the-art stadiums) since 1999; 14 if you include Daniel Snyder’s overhauling of FedEx Field in 2004. Each stadium follows a similar let’s-rake-in-the-cash blueprint. The first section of seats hug the field. At the top of those sections, the club seats start. That’s followed by a phalanx of premium luxury suites. More luxury suites dominate the second section. And the majority of blue-collar fans are crammed into the upper decks. Fundamentally, it’s a flawed way to cultivate a home-field advantage; beyond the emotional compromises and festering resentment of the blue-collar fans, the newer stadiums don’t reverberate noise the same. Look at Lambeau or Ralph Wilson Stadium — just rows and rows of fans, one after the other, rising for something like 75 rows before you hit your first luxury box. Watching the Browns-Bills game Monday night, I found myself enjoying the fans as much as the contest itself. Now this was football!

NESN.com posted an article about college football in New England on the offensive side of the ball. UConn’s William Beatty is featured as the top offensive lineman in New England.